Association between serum Vitamin E concentrations and the presence of Metabolic Syndrome: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of clinical and metabolic features that include central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance. These features are accompanied by increased oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant defenses. Vitamin E is a major factor in the non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses. The aim of present study was to investigate the association between serum levels of vitamin E and the presence of MetS and its components in a sample population of Mashhad stroke and heart atherosclerotic disorder (MASHAD) cohort study. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 128 subjects with MetS and 235 subjects without MetS. MetS was defined according to the International-Diabetes-Federation criteria. Serum levels of vitamin E were measured using the HPLC method. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured using standard protocols.  Results. MetS patients had significantly lower serum levels of vitamin E (Vit E), Vit E/Total cholesterol (TC), and Vit E/ (TC+triglyceride(TG)) compared to the control group (P < 0.05).  Vit E/ (TG+TC) was also significantly lower in diabetics or those with elevated levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Additionally, there was a significant association between Vit E/ (TG + Total Cho) and the number of components of the metabolic syndrome (p= 0.02) Conclusions. There is a significant inverse association between indices of Vit E status and the presence of MetS. Moreover, a significantly lower Vit E/ (TC+TG) was observed along with individuals with increasing numbers of components of the MetS.

Dietary Inflammatory Index is associated with Healthy Eating Index, Alternative Healthy Eating Index, and dietary patterns among Iranian adults.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations have evaluated the effect of the inflammatory potential of diet in several populations by calculating the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score. We aimed to evaluate the association of the DII with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and dietary pattern (DP) among healthy Iranian adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4365 middle-aged adults. Major DPs and DII score were identified using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association of DPs, HEI, and AHEI across tertiles of DII. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, a low HEI (HEI < 55) and AHEI (AHEI < 56.5) were more prevalent among the participants in the highest tertile of DII compared to the first tertile (PR: 1.13, P-value <.05; PR: 1.10, P-value <.05; respectively). Adherence to a balanced healthy dietary pattern was significantly lower in subjects with a diet that was more pro-inflammatory compared to those with anti-inflammatory diet (PR: 0.85, P-value P < .01). No significant association was found between the DII and a western DP. High levels of HDL and hip and waist circumference were observed in the highest tertile of DII, and high levels of dietary intake of protein and fiber, minerals, fasting blood glucose, and monounsaturated fat were reported in the lowest tertile of DII. CONCLUSION: The highest tertile of the DII (a pro-inflammatory diet) was associated with a lower HEI, AHEI, and lower adherence to balanced DP in a representative sample of adults in Iran.